country stuck not to them as they thought, they took one Littleton's house, which being by the sheriff aforesaid beset, after some small resistance, were all taken, Percy and Catesbie being then slain, the rest brought up to London and committed to prison. Afterwards, upon examination of these captives, were apprehended the earl of Northumberland, Lord Vaux, Lord Stourton, Lord Lumley, and the Lord Mordaunt, and committed to the Tower.

On Thursday, being the 30th of January, Sir Everard Digby, Robert Winter, Grant, and Bates were, for the facts aforesaid, hanged, drawn, and quartered, at London, in Paul's Churchyard.

The next day, being Friday, Thomas Winter, the younger brother, Ruckwood, Caies, and Faulkes were likewise executed in the old palace in Westminster.

III. THE SPANISH MARRIAGE PROJECT

The following letters concerning the plan for a marriage between Prince Charles of England and the princess of Spain will illustrate not only that subject but the somewhat undignified fondness of James for his son and Buckingham," Steenie," as he called him. The first letter was written while the Spanish marriage was a new plan.

My onlie sweete and deare chylde, I praye thee haiste thee 255. King hoame to thy deare daddie by sunne setting at the farthest, and James to Buckingham forgette not to make Dikbie give the Spanishe ambassador assurance that I will leave nothing undone that I may parforme with justice and honour in holding a mylde hande upon the Papists; onlie a way muste be founde to make thaire complaints come to my eares. But as for miladie Lake, I must both confesse to have pronounced an unjuste sentence and breake my promise to miladie Exceter in a matter of justice, if I grawnte her any ease at this tyme; besydes that this cause hath no aspect to Religion, excepte the Romishe Religion be composid of the seven deadlie sinnes: for I dare swaere she

is guilty of them all. If Spaine trouble me with suites of this nature both against my justice and honoure, thaire friendshippe will be more burthensome then usefull unto me, and so the Lorde send me a comfortable and happie meeting with thee this night.

JAMES, R.

This letter and the next were written while Charles and Buckingham were in Spain.

256. King My sweete boyes, I hoape before this tyme ye are fullie satJames to isfyed with my diligent caire in wrytting unto you upon all ocPrince Charles and casions; but I have bettir cause to quarrel you, that ye shoulde Buckingham ever have been in doubte of my often writting unto you. . . .

But the newis of your glorious reception thaire makes me affrayed that ye will both miskenne your old Daddie hereafter; but in earniste my babie ye must be spairing as ye can in youre spending thaire, for your officers are allreaddie putte to the height of thaire speede with provyding the fyve thowsands powndis by exchange, and now youre tilting stuffe quhiche thaye knowe not how to provyde will come to three more : and God knowis how my coffers are allreadie drained. .

But I praye you, my babie, take heade of being hurte if you runne at tilte. As for Steenie, I hoape thow will come bakke before that tyme, for I hoape my babie will be readdie to come awaye before the horses can be thaire wel restid, and all things readdie for running at tilte, quhiche muste be my babies pairting blow if he can have laaser to parforme it thaire. I praye you in the meanetyme keepe yourselfis in use of dawncing privatlie, thogh ye showlde quhissell and sing one to another like Jakke and Tom, for faulte of bettir musike. As for the maine bussienesse, I hoape that Dispensation will come speedielie and well, if other wayes ye muste putte that King bravelie to it. . . .

And thus God keepe you my sweete Boyes with my fatherlie blessing; and sende you a happie successfull journey, and a joyefull and happie returne in the armes of yore deare Dade. From Theobaldis, the first of Apryle.

JAMES, R.

Dere Dad, Gossope, and Steward:

257. The

Though your babie himselfe hath sent word what neede he duke of Buckingham hath of more jewells, yet will I by this berer, who can make more to the king speede then Carlile, againe acquaint your Majesty therewith, and give my poure and sausie opinion what will be fittest more to send. Hetherto you have bine so spareing that whereas you thought to have sent him sufficiently for his one waring, to present his Mistris who I ame sure shall shortlie now louse that title, and to lend me, that I to the contrarie have bine forsed to lend him. You neede not aske who made me able to do it. Sír, he hath neyther chaine nor hattband; and I beseech you consider first how rich they are in jewells here, then in what a poure equipage he came in, how he hath no other meanes to appere liek a Kings sonne, how they are usefullest at such a time as this when they may doe your selfe, your sonne, and the nation honor, and lastlie how it will neyther caust nor hasard you anie things. These reasons, I hope since you have ventured allredie your cheefest jewel, your Sonne, will serve to perswade you to lett louse thesse more after him; first your best hatband; the Portingall diamond; the rest of the pendent diamonds, to make up a Necles to give his Mistris; and the best rope of perle; with a rich chaine or tow for himself to waire, or els your Doge must want a coller; which is the redie way to put him into it. There are manie other jewells which are of so mean qualitie as they deserve not that name but will save much in your purs and serve verie well for Presents. . . . Your Majesty's most humble slave and doge,

STEENIE.

The following letter describes the rejoicing when the prince came home without his Spanish bride, and illustrates the unpopularity of the plan.

Sir:

258. Mr. Meade to Sir M. Stute

I shall not need tell you the Prince is come and at Royston. The news came to our Vicechancellor Munday forenoone; our ville (from Belles rung all that day, and the Towne made bonefires at night. Oxford) Tuesday, the belles continued ringing. Every College had a speech and one dish more for supper, and bonefires and

259. Bacon's Essay

On Studies

squibbes in their Courts; the Townsmen still continuing to warme their streets in every corner also with bonefires, least they should not be merry when we were. Wednesday the University assembled; in the forenoone to a gratulatorie Sermon at St. Maries; in the afternoone to a publick Oration. The close, at night, was with bonefires, drummes, gunnes, fireworks, till past midnight all the Towne about.

I can tell you no more yet, for we have not received this dayes Letters from London, and the Court will tell us nothing. The Prince hath gott a beard and is chearfull. The Marquess (some conceive) not so. We heare nothing of the Match at all but we are sure yet the Infanta is not come. How the King and the new-come-home guests greeted at their meeting it is not yet publick, and it seemes it was performed in private. To morrow all our Doctors and many besides of our University go to Court to present our Book of Verses.

IV. FRANCIS BACON AND WALTER RALEIGH

The thoughtfulness, insight, wit, and eloquence of Bacon can be seen in the following, one of the most familiar of his Essays.

Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight is in privateness and retiring; for ornament is in discourse; and for ability is in the judgment and disposition of business: for expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshaling of affairs come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules is the humor of a scholar : they perfect nature, and are perfected by experience; for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.

Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use, but that

is a wisdom without them and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments and the meaner sort of books; else distilled books are, like common distilled waters, flashy things. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man; and, therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.

Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtile; natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend: "Abeunt studia in mores"; nay, there is no stand or impediment in the wit but may be wrought out by fit studies: like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises; bowling is good for the stone and reins, shooting for the lungs and breast, gentle walking for the stomach, riding for the head, and the like. So if a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics, for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again; if his wit be not able to distinguish or find difference, let him study the schoolmen, for they are Cymini sectores. If he be not apt to beat over matters and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers' cases: so every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.

During the long imprisonment of Raleigh in the Tower of London he found relief, among other occupations, in writing a History of the World. The following extract from this work will give some idea of his philosophical observations and eloquent style.